Apparatus and methods for cleaning textile machines



Nov. 10, 1964 3,156,264

APPARATUS AND METHOIIDS FOR CLEANING TEXTILE MACHINES P. F. MAGUIRE, JR., ETAL 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 22, 1961 FIG. I

INVENTORS A PHILIP F. MA'GUIRE, JR. ARTHUR MAGSON BY %W ATTORNE Nov. 10, 1964 P. F. MAGUIRE, JR., ETAL 3,156,264

APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CLEANING TEXTILE MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22, 1961 FIG-2 F 3 INVENTORS.

PHILIP F. MAGUIRE, JR. YARTHUR ZAGSON ATTORN APPARATUSAND METHODS FOR CLEANING TEXTILE MACHINES Nov. 10, 1964 P. F. MAGUIRE, JR., ETAL 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 22. 1961 INVENTORS PHILIP F. MAGUIRE,'JR.

ARTHUR MAGSON BYZ I Nov. 10, 1964 P. F. MAGUIRE, JR., ETAL 3,156,264

APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CLEANING TEXTILE MACHINES Filed May 22, 1961 8 Sheets-Sheet' 4 INVENTORS F I 6 PHILIP E MAGUIRE, JR

A BY RTH UR M GSON ATTORN Nov. 10, 1964 P. F. MAGUIRE, JR., ETAL 3,156,264

APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CLEANING TEXTILE MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 22. 1961 INVENTORS PHILIP F. MAGUIRE, JR ARTHUR MAGSON BY p ATTORN Nov. 10, 1964 P. F. MAGUIRE, JR., ETAL 3,155,264

- APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CLEANING TEXTILE MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 22, 1961 FIG.9

E wm m TUW R mmm c m m M M cl I mm L mm GPA H w Nov. 10, 1964 P. F. MAGUIRE, JR., ETAL 3,

APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CLEANING TEXTILE MACHINES Filed May 22. 1961 a sheets-sheet 7 'INVENTORS //O PHILIP MAGUIRE, JR.

ARTHU MAGSON F l G. l 2 BY QMMW Nov. 10, 1964 P. F. MAGUIRE, JR., ETAL APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CLEANING TEXTILE MACHINES 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 22, 1961 J RN N m R G 0 AG 6 A MM A m WH lT HR PA Y United States Patent APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CLEANING TEXTILE MACHINES Philip F. Maguire, Jr., Providence, and Arthur Magson, Cumberland, RlL, assignors to Grinnell Corporation, Providence, KL, a corporation of Delaware Filed May 22., 1961, Ser. No. 111,519 Claims. (Cl. 1391) This invention relates to improvements in apparatus and methods for cleaning textile machines or the like and for improving the operation of such machines. More particularly it has to do with apparatus employing a novel collection member which acts as a shield to certain moving air currents and which has a surface whereon lint, discharged into the air by the machine and shielded from said currents, is deposited. It also has to do with a method for blocking such air currents and for collecting such lint in a novel way.

For many years textile manufacturers have had difficulty in preventing lint from accumulating on the surfaces of their textile machines and thereby interfering with the proper operation of these machines or impairing the quality of the product. Thus in their operation on the textile material in its various stages of manufacture, textile machines cause small pieces of fiber (lint) to be pulled away or broken off from the main body of the material, whereupon air currents and gravity forces cause this lint to move throughout the air in the area where the machines are located. inevitably a substantial amount of this lint comes to rest upon the machinery and other objects in the room to which it is likely to adhere because of the coating of sizing on the lint made tacky by the high relative humidity normally maintained.

Over a period of time, this lint accumulates to such an extent that thick matted clumps of it appear on the machinery and on the other objects in the room. There is danger that bunches of this accumulated line will be dislodged onto the textile material being processed and spoil it and further danger that the lint will clog the .machinerys moving parts. In addition this lint presents a fire hazard, so that it is desirable to have methods and equipment for retarding such lint accumulations.

In aggravation of this lint accumulation problem it frequently happens that mechanical components which are in the lower regions of textile machines and therefore usually below the textile material being processed by such machines, create appreciable updrafts of air. These drafts tend to carry upward each lint particle which they encounter, so that instead of falling downward from the point where it was produced (as it would if there were no air currents) the lint particle has an opportunity to reach surfaces higher or considerably to one side of said production point. An example of such a machine component is the jack-shaft and cam unit for the heddles of a loom. This unit, which is located near the floor, generates a substantial amount of heat during operation and thereby creates convection currents which rise upward through the warp strands. Another example of such a machine component is the lay of a loom which, by its oscillatory motion, produces a fanning action and causes air currents to pass through the heddles and again upward through the warp strands. These updrafts greatly increase the problem of preventing lint accumulation because they scatter the lint from the points where it is primarily produced into the air above the machine from which it may continue to rise, or move to the side, or fall back again. The difliculty is that while it is in the air above the machine the gathering or conducting of the lint is very diflicult and requires equipment to be located where it is likely to interfere with machine operation.

To solve the lint accumulation problem there have been numerous past proposals ranging from hand-held a1r hoses to overhead travelling blower units to rigid vacuum hoods mounted on the machinery. Some of these past proposals have been very successful and are widely used today, but none of them combines in one unit all the desirable features which characterize the present invention. For example, in textile machine cleaning apparatus it is desirable: to gather the lint into a container from WlllCh it cannot again escape to collect on the machinery or on the floor under the machinery; to gather lint with apparatus which does not rely on the conduction of the but by moving air to a container inlet; to gather the lint from an area of the machine which is not limited by the a r moving abilities of a vacuum system of reasonable size; to gather the lint with apparatus which effectively cleans those portions of itself which are particularly subect to becoming clogged with lint; to-provide apparatus whlch can readily fit in limited available space and in space which differs from one machine to another; to block upwardly moving air currents and prevent them from passing directly through the textile material being handled; and to provide apparatus which is simple in construction and easily installed.

The present invention has all these desirable features to a surprising and unexpected degree, as is illustrated by one embodiment particularly adapted for a textile loom. In this embodiment a wide, flexible, endless belt is mounted between spaced apart, parallel rollers located underneath the warp strands at the back of the loom, one roller extending parallel to the heddles and adjacent thereto and the other being the whip roll. With this arrangement the warp strands passing slowly over the whip roll in their normal fashion, rotate the whip roll and cause the upper layer of the belt to be driven slowly toward the heddles and the lower layer to be returned. The upper and lower belt layers are depressed near their cen ter by a weight roller which causes these layers to clear the lower ends of the drop wires, and the belt is wide enough to extend to the sides of the group of warp strands so that the upper belt portion forms an extensive lint collecting surface onto which the lint can fall when it moves downwardly through the air from the warp strands. In this connection the belt acts as a shield or barrier to any air currents which rise upwardly toward the warp strands as a result of the movement of the lay or other parts 1n the lower regions of the machine and as a result of air currents caused by temperature diiferentials. In th s embodiment the belt roller adjacent the heddles 15 provided with a suction manifold having an openin presented generally upwardly and so positioned with respect to the belt that the latter cooperates to restrict the opening of the inlet to a narrow slot. As a result a relatively low rate of Withdrawal of air from the manifold produces a relatively high velocity of air through the slot, and the lint brought to this slot by the upper belt layer is drawn into the manifold with considerable force. In addition in this preferred embodiment the lower belt layer retreating from the slot slides over a cleaning scraper on one side of the manifold opening with the result that any lint not drawn off by mere suction at the slot will be dislodged by the scraper while still in the presence of the suction and will be drawn into the manifold.

Preferably in this embodiment the portion of the belt defining one side of the slot is a portion passing over the roller so that the belt is being flexed in the presence of the air moving rapidly through the slot. This flexing tends to loosen any lint adhering to the belt and to allow it to be drawn into the manifold. I

Having thus described in general terms one embodiment of the apparatus of this invention, the following objects will be more easily understood, one such object being the provision of textile cleaning apparatus having an extensive, flexible, air-current barrier which has a lint collecting surface whereby the blocking of rising air currents and the receiving of lint on the surface are simultaneously achieved.

Another object is the provision of textile cleaning apparatus employing a movable member which is extensive in area, which is arranged to block rising air currents, which has a surface for receiving thereon lint moving through the air, and which has apparatus for concentrating the lint so received.

Another object of the invention is the provision of textile cleaning apparatus having a moving, continuous belt mounted between two supports, having one surface portion of the belt presented to lint moving through the air, and having an air intake manifold with an intake opening defined in part by the belt at one of the supports.

Another object of the invention is the provision of textile cleaning apparatus having a moving continuous belt encircling a pair of supporting rods and driven therearound by advance of the textile material while in frictional engagement with the belt mechanism, having one surface of the belt presented to lint falling through the air, and having a suction manifold at the other roller with an intake opening defined in part by the belt.

Another object of the invention is the provision of textile loom cleaning apparatus having a moving continuous belt encircling a pair of supporting rollers and driven therearound, having one belt portion beneath the warp strands and substantially parallel thereto to present a moving, lint-collecting surface to lint falling from the warp strands, and having a suction manifold at the roller toward which this belt portion moves with an elongated suction intake opening defined in part by the belt Passing over such roller.

Another object of the invention is the provision of textile cleaning apparatus having a moving continuous belt which is mounted on a pair of rollers, which is arranged to receive thereon lint moving through the air and to carry this lint to a suction manifold, and which is provided with a novel rib outstanding from one belt surface and cooperating with a guide to maintain the belt centered on the rollers.

Another object of the invention is the provision of textile cleaning apparatus having a moving belt mounted on a pair of supporting rods, having one surface of the belt presented to lint falling through the air and having a suction manifold which is adjacent the belt and which has an intake opening with an improved scraper engaging a surface of the belt.

Another object is to provide an improved method for gathering lint from the air in one region of a textile machine involving the arresting of lint moving through such air, the supporting of such lint and the carrying of such arrested and supported lint to a station independently of air movement, and the removing of such lint from such station.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The best best mode in which it has been contemplated applying the principles of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, but these are to be deemed primarily illustrative, for it is intended that the patent shall cover by suitable expression in the appended claims whatever of patentable novelty exists in the invention disclosed.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention applied to the back part of a textile loom, with portions of the loom omitted and other portions broken away to simplify the showing;

FIGURE 2 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic top plan view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 with the warp strands and the front portions of the loom omitted;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the suction manifold and belt centering arrangement for the apparatus of FIGS. l3;

FIGURE 5 is a partially cross-sectioned side elevation view of the motor, air pump and lint container used in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3.

FIGURE 6 is front elevation view of another embodiment of the invention applied to the front part of a textile loom, again with portions of the loom omitted and other portions broken away to simplify the showing;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged perspective view of one belt roller of FIG. 6 and the belt driving mechanism therefor.

FIGURE 8 is a view like FIG. 7 showing another belt driving mechanism;

FIGURE 9 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevation view showing another embodiment of the invention in which the belt is driven by the whip roll but does not pass over it and in which the upper belt portion moves away from the heddles;

FIGURE 9A is a view of the bracket of FIG. 9 in position to disengage the friction wheels from the whip roll.

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a fragment of the arrangement of FIG. 9;

FIGURE 11 is a perspective view, partially broken away, of the manifold shown in FIG. 9;

FIGURE 12 is a side elevation view showing an embodiment in which a belt in the front of the loom encircles rollers parallel to the heddles and in which the belt is driven by the cloth;

FIGURE 13 is a perspective view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 12;

FIGURE 14 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention like that shown in FIG. 1, showing one arrangement for taking up slack in the belt; and

FIGURE 15 is a view like FIG. 14, showing another arrangement for taking up slack in the belt.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, in the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1-5 there is a wide, flexible, endless belt 10 passing around the loom whip roll 12 between this roll and the warp strands 14 and also around a roller 16 adjacent the heddles 18. More particularly the roller 16 has its ends 16a journalled in the end plates 20a of an elongated suction manifold 29 which extends horizontally underneath the warp strands and generally parallel to the heddles. This manifold has an inlet opening 20b (see FIG. 4) extending along its upper wall. One side of this opening is defined by an upstanding extension 200 of the manifold side wall 20d which is along the heddles, and the other side of this opening (parallel to the first-mentioned side) is defined by an upstanding lip 20a on the edge of a top manifold cover door 20f hinged at 20g to the upper edge of the opposite manifold wall 20h.

With reference to this manifold opening 20b the roller 16 is located so that it defines, with the wall extension 200, a narrow slot 22 of substantially uniform width along the length of the manifold. The roller 16 is further located so that the belt 10 passing over it has upper and lower layers 10a and 10b, respectively, extending back toward the whip-roll, and the lower belt layer 10b rubs on the manifold lip 20e.

With this arrangement the manifold opening 20b is partially covered by the roller 16 and the lower belt layer 10b, so that substantially all of the air drawn into the manifold by apparatus which will be described hereinafter passes through narrow slot 22.

The manifold 20 is mounted on the loom frame in any convenient manner, for example, on cross bar 24 by brackets 26 (see FIG. 1) so that the manifold wall Zild is as close as possible to the heddle 18 nearest to it without interfering with the movement of this hcddle and so that the upper belt layer 1001 is close to the lowest position of Warp strands 14 entering the heddles.

The suction in the manifold is provided by an air suc tion pump 30 (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 5) driven by a small electric motor 32 both of which are mounted on a lint collection container 34. This container is in turn mounted on the loom frame at a convenient and accessible location by a bracket 35. For example, it may be mounted as shown above the loom motor 36. The pump 3% draws air out of the container 34 through a filter system 37 which traps in the container any lint in the air supplied thereto. Such supply is provided by a pair of flexible conduits 38 which lead to the container from the manifold and are connected to the latter by nipples Ztli on the bottom wall Ztlk of the manifold, so that the action of the pump draws air into the manifold through the slot 22, along the conduits 38, into the container 34, through the filter 37 and through the pump 30 to the exhaust 30a thereof. Lint may be removed from the container through door 34a.

From the manifold 20 the upper and lower belt layers 10a and 10b extend generally side-by-side underneath the drop wires 40 and toward the whip roll around which the belt passes and by which the belt is driven. Thus the warp strands 14 press against the whip roll through the belt, and by the friction resulting from this pressure and by the advance of the warp strands the whip roll is rotated slowly and the belt is moved in such a direction that the upper layer ltia travels toward the manifold and the lower layer 10b returns therefrom.

Because the belt is driven by the advance of the warp strands in the manner described, it need not be drawn tightly between the whip roll 12 and the roller 16. An idler roller 42 is rested on the upper belt layer behind the drop wires 4% and by its weight serves to assure that this upper belt layer remains out of the way of the drop wires, but this idler roller does not have to tighten the belt on the rollers for the purpose of achieving a belt driving friction between the belt and whip roll. The idler roller 42 is merely a round bar supported by the belt and restrained against endwise movement by frame abutments 44. Narrow endless bands 46 encircling the ends of the whip roll and the ends of the idler roller 42 hold the latter against movement down the slightly sloping upper belt layer toward the front of the loom.

Although the belt lltl shows only a very slight tendency to creep endwise because of variations in belt circumference across its width and because the roller 16 may not be exactly parallel to the whip roll, the belt 1i) is preferably provided with a ridge ltlc outstanding from the exterior side of the belt and guided in a groove 291 in the manifold lip Ziie. This belt ridge 10c and groove 2l cooperate to hold the belt centered on the roller 16 and therefore on the whip roll 12 as well. The ridge lite does not interfere with the warp strands 14 where they pass over the whip roll because they merely divide on either side of this ridge at this location as shown at 14a in FIG. 1. In fact these dividing warp strands also serve to hold the belt in its proper place on the rollers.

The belt 10 in the embodiment shown is preferably made of rubber-coated fabric with the rubber on the outer surface in the form of a continuous thin rubber sheet which is smooth enough so that lint falling on it is easily drawn off at the slot 22 by the moving air and so that this lint does not build up and form a mat on the belt after prolonged operation.

The operation of the apparatus above-described is as follows: Advance of the warp strands 14 over the whip roll 12 when the loom is operating carries the belt 10 along so that the upper belt layer 10a moves toward the roller 16 and the manifold 20.

Lint generated from warp strands in the region between the whip roll and the heddles tends to fall downwardly on the surface of the upper belt layer Illa which is presented to this region and this lint rests on this surface to be carried slowly to the manifold by the belt movement. Such falling of the lint 45 onto the belt is to a considerable extent made possible by the belts acting as a barrier against the updrafts 47 (see FIG. 2) from the lower portions of the loom, whereby lint is not carried upwardly from the warp strands by these updrafts, whereby the lint is permitted to fall down on the belt from the warp strands under the influence of gravity and whereby the lint which had already fallen on the belt is not blown off before it reaches the manifold.

The bending of the belt as it passes around the roller 16 tends to loosen the lint on the belt surface. This loosening while the lint is directly in the slot 22 enables the air entering the slot to carry the lint with it and thence from the manifold 20 along the conduits 38 to the contamer 34.

A narrow thickened portion 10d of the belt across the belt width, provided, for example, by a sewn seam when the belt is prepared, is a preferred arrangement for positively clearing the slot 22 if, for any reason, a clump of lint which has fallen onto the belt jams in the slot and will not pass through it despite the rapid movement of air. (See FIG. 4.)

If any lint adheres to the belt and is not drawn off the belt surface at the slot 22 it will 'be scraped off by the lip Zile over which the belt layer ltib passes, and the very slight gaps which will inevitably appear between this lip and the belt rubbing thereon will have air drawn through them and into the manifold at relatively high velocity which will assist the lip in dislodging the lint still on the belt at this location. The sides of the belt ridge We are restrained by the sides of the groove 2tte in the manifold lip so that the belt is kept centered on the roller 16 and consequently also centered on the whip roll 12.

It will be noted that in this described arrangement of FIGS. 1-5, the manifold is located underneath the belt except for the side wall extension 2630 and the slot 22. This has the advantage that lint cannot collect in any substantial amounts on the manifold itself since the manifold is on the side of the belt opposite to that where the lint is principally generated.

It will also be noted that the use of a barrier of flexible material between the heddles and the whip roll permits a very eficient blocking of air currents and a very efiicient provision of a lint collection surface since the belt is light in weight, inexpensive, occupies little space and is easily conformed tothe contours of available space.

Referring now to the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, another belt 4-8 is located at the front of the loom beneath the part of the warp strands 14- which extend from heddles 18 to the cloth 56. More particularly this belt is mounted on a pair of parallel rollers 52 and 54, one of which (52) has its ends journalled on a bracket 55 mounted on a frame portion 56 and the other of which (54) has its ends journalled on another suction manifold 58 like the manifold 23 of the earlier described embodiment. This manifold 58 is mounted on another frame portion 69 by a bracket 62.

The rollers 52 and 54 are at opposite sides of the loom, as shown, and are positioned so that the lay 64 with the race board 66 and reed 68 oscillate above the rollers and manifold and above the upper belt layer 48a. The distance under the shed formed by the Warp strands between the heddles 1S and the cloth 5t} approaching the cloth roll '70 is not great, and, accordingly, the belt 48 running across the machine in the direction shown is much narrower than the belt 19 of the earlier described embodiment. However, a considerable amount of lint is formed from the warp strands in the region of the shed, and the belt 48, though comparatively narrow, will catch and carry to the suction manifold 58 substantial quantities of such lint. This use of a narrow belt, which results from running it in the direction shown in'FIGS. 6 and 7, has the advantage that the manifold 58 is short and conse quently the suction force along the slot is greater for a 7 given suction pump motor than it would be if the manifold extended parallel to the heddles. A belt under the warp strands and drop wires at the back of the loom can also be run across the machine instead of from back to front.

To drive the roller 52 a friction wheel 72 is journalled on a lever arm 74 pivoted to bracket 55. A spring 76 urges the friction wheel against the belt 48 Where it passes over the roller 52, and the friction wheel has a rubber tire 72a to insure a satisfactory friction drive. The wheel 72 is rotated by a flexible cable 78 connected at one end to the wheel axle 72b and at the other end to a reduction gear box 80 which is mounted on the loom frame and receives its input from some convenient part such as the loom drive shaft 82.

Conduit 84 connected to a manifold nipple SSi conducts air and lint from the manifold 58 to a container which can :be the same container 34 when the loom is also provided with an embodiment of the invention like that of FIGS. 1-5 or it can be a similar container if only the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 is employed.

FIGURE 8 shows another way of driving the belt 48 which involves driving the roller 52 rather than a friction wheel. In this case the flexible cable 78 is connected to the axle of roller 52 at 52a and thereby rotates the roller 52. Accordingly, the belt must be kept tight enough on the rollers to provide driving friction between the belt 48 and the roller 52. This is accomplished by providing the bracket 55 with a swinging portion 550 on which the roller 52 is journalled and which is pivoted to the fixed bracket portion on an axis 550 by aligned pivots 55d. A spring 55a interposed between the fixed and swinging bracket portions urges portion 55a in a clockwise direction (in FIG. 8) to maintain the belt 48 taut between its rollers.

Referring now to the embodiment of FIGS. 9, and 11, a belt 86 is located in the same general area as the belt 10 in FIGS. 1-5, that is, at the back of the 100m below the warp strands 14 and between the whip roll 12 and the heddles 18. In this embodiment, however, the belt 86 does not encircle the whip roll 12 but is mounted on a separate roller 88 driven by the whip roll through a pair of friction rollers. More particularly the roller 88 has its ends journalled in brackets 90 (one at either end of the whip roll) which brackets also serve as supports for the ends a pair of flexible shafts 92 and 93 parallel to the roller 88. At its center each of these shafts has rotatably mounted thereon a friction wheel 9-4 (95) like the wheel 72 of FIGS. 6 and 7. The roller 33 and shafts 92 and 93 are positioned so that the rubber tire of wheel 94 engages the belt 86 passing over the roller 88, the rubber tire of Wheel 95 engages wheel 94 and the shafts 92 and 93 are sufiiciently flexible so that when the brackets 91 are drawn toward the whip roll axis to press the wheel 95 thereagainst at a point beneath the warp strands the wheel 95 is pressed against the wheel d4 which is thereby pressed firmly against the belt on roller 88, and in this manner the belt is driven by the whip roll without having to be located around it. Because in this case, the belt is not driven by friction between it and the roller 88, the belt can be relatively loose with respect to the other roller which it encircles adjacent the heddles.

The brackets 90 are drawn toward the whip roll by springs Q6 connected to the brackets and to the whip roll 12. These brackets are bifurcated as shown to receive and be guided by the whip roll 12, and they can conveniently rest on a frame rod 98 so that the springs 96 will urge the brackets in the proper direction toward the whip roll.

At the heddles the belt 86 passes over another roller 1% which has its ends journalled in brackets 102 mounted on the frame cross bar 24. This roller 1% is located as close as possible to the heddles 18 without interfering with their operation, but in this embodiment the manifold 1% is located on back side of the drop wires 4e because the use of the two friction wheels 94 and cause the upper belt layer 36:: to move from the heddles toward the whip roll. It is not necessary to use two friction wheels 94. and 95 to obtain belt movement. One would do this, but in this embodiment it is intended that a belt be shown in which the upper layer moves from the front to the back of the loom. With only one friction wheel 94 (or 95) the belt portion 36a would move from back to front as in FIG. 1. It will be understood, of course, that an arrangement like that of FIGS. 9, 10 and 11 but with one friction roller 54 (or 95) the belt portion 86a would move from back to front as in FIG. 1, in which case the manifold would preferably be located in the manner of FIGS. 1-5.

In FIGS. 9, l0 and 11 the manifold 1M is in the form of an inverted U-shaped channel with its leading edge 194a spaced slightly from the upper belt layer 86a to form a slot 166 and with its back edge 19% in scraping engagement with the belt surface to scrape off the belt any lint not drawn off at the slot.

The manifold 164 has a horizontal partition 10 2c providing a space which is divided by a vertical partition read into two upper chambers 104s and 1414f communieating with the single lower chamber 104g adjacent the belt by openin s 19411 and 164i respectively. Connections 197 to two containers 1513 (like container 34 in FIGS. 1-5 and on opposite sides of the loom) are made from the ends of chambers 1M0 and 194- by conduits 1%. By this arrangement these conduits 169 can be very short and therefore easily cleaned if they become clogged, and at the same time the suction is quite evenly distributed along the slot 1%. If desired, a single container 108 can be used, for example, at one side of the loom with one short and one long conduit 16).

The manifold 1%, located as shown, has the advantage that it is very accessible for easy installation and removal, and it enables the use of very short conduits, as described.

FIGURE 12 shows another embodiment in which a belt 110 is located under the lay 64 between the heddles 18 and the cloth 5'9 approaching the cloth roll 7%), this belt being mounted on rollers 112 and 114 which differ from those in the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 in that they are parallel to the heddles. One of these rollers (112) is located adjacent the heddles under the lay 64 and the other (114) is located toward the front of the loom adjacent the cloth 5t) approaching the cloth roll 79. The roller 114 is somewhat above the roller 112 so that the upper belt layer 110a slants at an angle from the front of the loom downward toward the heddles. The manifold 116 in this case is located at the roller 112 which is journalled in the end plates 116a, and the belt is driven by a friction roller 118 mounted on brackets 12% which are secured to a bar 119. This bar is in turn pivoted to the loom frame by hooks 119a so that the weight of the friction roller swings the bar and brackets counter-clockwise (in FIG. 10) and presses the friction roller 113 against the cloth 5t). At the same time a weight roller 122 resting on the lower belt layer 110b, and connected to the bracket 12% by flexible bands 124, presses the lower belt layer 11% against the friction rollor at lltlc. With this arrangement movement of the cloth St in its normal manner (as indicated by arrow 1.26) drives the belt 119 and advances the upper belt layer 113a from roller 114 to roller 112 where the manifold is located. Roller 114 is journailed in the same brackets 12% as the friction roller 113.

Referring now to FIGURE 14, this shows one arrangement for keeping the belt in a proper location if the belt is longer than necessary. Thus the belt must not hang too far down below the drop wires or it is likely to interfere with the loom mechanism. In many cases the most suitable belt length can be achieved when the belt is initially selected for a given loom, but to take care of the situation where the loom may be changed, for example,

9 by adding heddles or moving the whip roll, it is desirable to be able to adjust the belt length Within limits and always maintain the belt out of the way.

This is accomplished in the arrangement of FIG. 14 by having the upper layer 13% of a belt 13% extend from the whip roll 12 over a rod ltla which, on the particular loom shown, forms a part of the drop wire stop motion mechanism. From this rod dtla the upper belt layer 13% extends downwardly to a roller 132 and passes around this roller at a level below the lower ends of the drop wires 40. From the roller 132 the upper belt layer 13% extends toward theheddles and passes around a roller 134 from which the belt returns as the lower layer 1139b. This layer also passes under the roller 132 and then extends to the whip roll, completing the belt.

Small supporting bands 136 of flexible material encircle the ends or" the whip roll and rod 132, and by adjusting the length of these bands the proper amount of tautness can be maintained in the belt. The weight of the rod 132 is sui'licient to keep the upper belt layer 136a below the drop wires 46 and thereby prevent its interfering with their normal operation. The supporting bands may be formed of cord material and merely tied as at 136a to permit easy changes in the band lengths.

One advantage of the slack-adjusting arrangement of FIG. 14 is that the portion of the upper belt layer between the rollers ttla and 132 forms an upstanding wall behind the drop wires and serves to shield the lint on the belt between the drop wires and heddles from horizontal air currents blowing from back to front on the loom. Also it serves to prevent any air currents above the belt from carrying the lint back toward the whip roll. Thus the major part of the lint generated from the warp strands 14- is generated between the rod Mia and the heddles, and the arrangement of FIG. 14 tends to enclose this area to greater extent than in the earlier embodiments. In FIGS. 1-5 the manifold wall extension Ztlc contributes substantially to this enclosure.

FIGURE 15 shows still another belt tightening arrangement which employs a pair of rods 13$ and 14% parallel to each other in spaced-apart relation and joined at their ends by brackets 142. These brackets are preferably positioned so that when the ends of the rod 140 rest upon the rims of the warp flanges 144 the brackets are just outside these flanges. In this Way the brackets prevent endwise movement of the rod assembly.

In FIG. 15 the upper layer 146a of the belt 146 extends from the whip roll to the roller 138, around this roller 133 and then to roller l-tti, around roller 140 and then under the lower ends of the drop wires 4t to a roller 148 adjacent the heddles. From this roller 148 the lower belt layer 146!) extends back to the whip roll, passing under the roller 14% on the Way.

Flexible bands 159, like the bands 136 in FIG. 14, hold the rod 140 a distance from the whip roll such that the roller 14a rests on the downwardly sloping part of the Warp flange 144. Hence, the weight of the roller assembly maintains the bands 150 taut, and the roller 14%, resting on the warp flange 144, acts as a pivot around which the roller 138 tends to rotate. Thus, more particularly, the roller 138 is located on the front side of the roller 140 so that the weight of roller 138 tends to rotate the roller 138 clockwise (in FIG. 15) around the fixed pivot roller 14%. This tendency is resisted by the belt layer 146a, and in this manner the belt is kept taut enough to be held out of the way of the loom mechanisms under the belt. The various rotational positions of roller 138 around roller 140 provide the adjustability desired.

Although in a number of the above embodiments the belt will move as long as the textile machine is running because the belt is driven by the textile machine, it will be understood that an intermitent drive is within the scope of the present invention. For example, in the embodiment of FIGS. 9, l0 and 11, the brackets 90 may be moved to the right (in FIGS. 9 and 10) by depressing the handle a of the lever 90b to further extend the spring 96 and bring the friction wheel out of engagement with the whip roll. The lever 90b is pivoted on the end of the rod 88. This retracted position of the bracket 90 by lever 90b is shown in FIG. 9A.

Such provision for stopping and starting the belt movement may be desirable in a textile mill where the amount of lint generated is not relatively great and where it is preferred not to run the air suction pumps continuously. If the pump for a loom is turned off the belt should also be stopped. Then after lint has collected to some ex tent on the surface of the stationary upper belt layer the pump can be started and the belt moved until the collected lint has been all drawn off at the manifold.

Further in this connection the flexible cables 78 in FIGS. 6-8 could be connected to a small electric motor which operates independently of the loom operation, for example, they could be connected to the pump motor 32 of FIG. 5 so that the belt and pump would operate in unison. Also a timing mechanism could be employed to turn on the motor 32 automatically at selected intervals for selected periods.

Although the air suction pump, motor and container are shown in each case permanently mounted on the textile machine, it is within the scope of the invention to have some or all of these items separable, for example to have the pump motor, container and conduit on a conveyor which wheels along the floor of the mill room in which many machines are located or which is suspended from an overhead rail in such a room and to have a belt and manifold on each machine. By bringing the conveyor to each machine in turn, connecting the conduit to the manifold on that machine, moving the belt on that machine and simultaneously operating the air suction pump on the conveyor the lint which has collected on the belt surface since the previous visit to that machine may be collected.

We claim:

1. In combination With a textile machine having:

(I) a base adapted to rest on a floor,

(II) first components:

(A) which define one end of an upper region of said machine, 1

(B) on which textile strands are temporarily stored,

(C) from which strands extend:

(1) through said upper region, (2) parallel to each other,

(III) second components:

(A) which define the opposite end of said upper region,

(B) which receive said extending strands,

(C) which operate upon and said strands and produce lint therefrom,

(IV) third components:

(A) which define the sides of said upper region,

(B) which are spaced apart,

(C) which connect said first and second com- 'ponents,

(V) fourth components:

(A) which are located in a lower region between said base and said upper region,

(B) which produce during machine operation air currents moving upwardly toward said upper region,

(VI) a sheet which:

(A) separates said upper and lower regions,

(B) has an upwardly presented surface as large as the major portion of the area of said upper region,

(C) is substantially impervious to said moving air currents,

whereby said upwardly moving air currents are prevented by said'sheet from passing into said upper region and carrying said lint upwardly therein, and whereby said lint which falls downwardly through said upper region is arrested by said sheet surface, (VII) means:

(A) which:

(1) are associated with said sheet, (2) are independent of air movement,

(B) for moving to a predetermined location the portion of said lint which:

(1) has been shielded by said sheet from said air currents in said lower regions, (2) has fallen down through said upper region to rest on said sheet surface, (VIII) means at said predetermined location for gathering up lint from said sheet surface. 2. In combination with a textile loom having: (I) a base adapted to rest on a floor, (II) a warp beam from which a layer of parallel strands extend, (III) heddles:

(A) which receive said strands,

(B) which move some of said strands relative to others to form a shed,

(C) which produce lint from said layer by said movement,

(IV) loom driving member;

(A) which are located in a region of said loom between said base and said strand layer,

(B) which produce during loom operation air currents moving upwardly toward said strand layer,

(V) a continuous belt which:

(A) is located between and separates said driving members and said strand layer,

(B) has an upwardly presented surface substantially coextensive with said strand layer,

(C) is impervious to said moving air currents,

whereby said upwardly moving air currents are prevented by said belt from passing through said strand layer and carrying said lint upwardly therefrom and whereby said lint which falls downwardly from said strand layer is arrested by said belt surface, (VI) means:

(A) which:

( 1) engage said belt, (2) move said belt edgewise between said upper and lower regions,

(B) for moving to a predetermined location the portion of said lint which:

(1) has been shielded by said sheet from air currents in said lower region, (2) has fallen down through said upper region to rest on said belt surface, (VII) means at said predetermined location for gathering up lint from said belt surface. 3. In combination with a textile loom having: (I) a base adapted to rest on a floor, (II) drop wires through which a layer of substantially parallel strands extend, (III) heddles:

(A) which receive said layer of strands from said drop wires,

(B) which move some of said strands relative to others to:

(1) form a shed, (2) produce lint from said layer, (IV) loom driving members:

(A) which are located in a region of said loom between said base and said strand layer,

(B) which produce during loom operation air currents moving upwardly toward said strand layer,

(V) lint removing apparatus comprising:

(A) a first roller which:

(1) is closely adjacent said heddles,

(2) is closely adjacent the lower side of said strand layer,

(3) is substantially horizontal,

(4) extends across substantially the full width of said strand layer,

(B) a second roller which:

(1) is spaced substantially from said drop wires on the side thereof opposite said heddles,

(2) is closely adjacent the lower side of said strand layer,

(3) is substantially horizontal,

(4) extends across substantially the full width of said strand layer,

(C) an endless belt which:

(i) encircles said rollers,

(2) is in contact with said rollers,

(3) passes under said drop wires and strand layer,

(4) separates said loom driving members from said strand layer,

(5) has a surface presented upwardly toward the portion of said strand layer between said rollers,

(6) is impervious to said moving air currents,

whereby said upwardly moving air currents are prevented by said belt from passing through said strand layer portion and whereby said lint which falls downwardly from said strand layer portion is arrested by said belt surface,

(VI) means:

(A) which:

(1) engage said belt,

(2) drive said belt around said rollers,

(B) for moving said presented belt surface edgewise from one roller toward the other,

(VII) means adjacent a portion of said belt surface for cleaning therefrom lint which falls downwardly thereon.

4. The combination of claim 3 in which said second roller is a whip roll.

5. The combination of claim 3 in which said second roller is a loom whip roll and in which said means for driving said belt is the warp strands pressing against said belt at said whip roll.

6. The combination of claim 3 in which said second roller is parallel to a loom whip roll and in which said means for driving said belt includes means connecting said whip roll to said second roller for transmitting to said second roller the rotary motion of said whip roll.

7. The combination of claim 3 in which said second roller is parallel to a loom whip roll and in which said means for driving said belt includes a friction roller pressing against the belt on said second roller and further includes means connecting said whip roll and said friction roller for transferring to said friction roller the rotary motion of said whip roll.

8. The combination of claim 3 in which the axes of said rollers form a plane which passes through at least a portion of said drop wires and in which the belt sags between said rollers and has its said presented surface passing under said drop wires.

9. The combination of claim 3 in which the axes of said first and second rollers form a flat plane in which there is a belt guide between said rollers and spaced from said plane, and in which a belt portion between said rollers is engaged on said belt guide and held thereby spaced from said plane.

10. The method of gathering lint from the air adjacent a textile loom which:

(I) has a warp beam, heddles, stop motion, and drive mechanism,

(II) has a layer of warp strands extending from the warp beam to the heddles along the length of the stop motion,

13 (III) during operation produces in a first lower region of said loom by the operation of said heddles and drive mechanism air currents which rise upwardly toward sm'd layer, (IV) during operation agitates said layer to produce said lint which:

(A) tends to fall downwardly from said layer into a second higher region immediately beneath said layer,

(B) is subject to being carried upwardly through said second region by said air currents,

said method comprising the steps of:

(V) blocking said rising air currents:

(A) over an area substantially equal to the area of said layers,

(B) before they enter said second region,

(VI) arresting the downward movement of said lint from said layer:

(A) over an area substantially equal to the area of said layer,

(B) before said lint enters said first lower region,

(VII) supporting said arrested lint in said second higher region,

(VIII) carrying said supported lint slowly across said second higher region to a station,

(IX) removing said lint from said second region at said station.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Breeze May 22, 1906 Young May 5, 1925 Hilker Mar. 22, 1932 Turner May 21, 1946 Caille Sept. 6, 1949 Hollick July 18, 1950 Fallowfield Dec. 12, 1950 Kinraide May 29, 1956 Loepsinger May 16, 1961 Windle June 19, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS France June 8, 1959 Great Britain Apr. 27, 1960 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A TEXTILE MACHINE HAVING: (I) A BASE ADAPTED TO REST ON A FLOOR, (II) FIRST COMPONENTS: (A) WHICH DEFINE ONE END OF AN UPPER REGION OF SAID MACHINE, (B) ON WHICH TEXTILE STRANDS ARE TEMPORARILY STORED, (C) FROM WHICH STRANDS EXTEND: (1) THROUGH SAID UPPER REGION, (2) PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER, (III) SECOND COMPONENTS: (A) WHICH DEFINE THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID UPPER REGION, (B) WHICH RECEIVE SAID EXTENDING STRANDS, (C) WHICH OPERATE UPON AND SAID STRANDS AND PRODUCE LINT THEREFROM, (IV) THIRD COMPONENTS: (A) WHICH DEFINE THE SIDES OF SAID UPPER REGION, (B) WHICH ARE SPACED APART, (C) WHICH CONNECT SAID FIRST AND SECOND COMPONENTS, (V) FOURTH COMPONENTS: (A) WHICH ARE LOCATED IN A LOWER REGION BETWEEN SAID BASE AND SAID UPPER REGION, (B) WHICH PRODUCE DURING MACHINE OPERATION AIR CURRENTS MOVING UPWARDLY TOWARD SAID UPPER REGION, 